Introductions
by PrincessShawn
Summary: Callisto and Natalie are good friends of the greasers, but there are so many people getting in their way, so many rival gangs to get into fights with... How will they all manage to stay friends?
1. Chapter 1

AN: Since I love getting reviews (^_^ especially the good kind) I decided I'd post another Outsiders story of mine. This one is more contemporary and yes, set in California because I don't know what it's like over… there… X.X So don't start thinking I'm nuts when you hear about the ocean or recent bands or something! …Don't flame me for it because I warned you and I shall scoff at you if you mention it because it means you didn't read this! So, on with the story.

I was really the only one in the gang with a family, or a real, good life with some hope of not being killed before I turned twenty. I had my mom, my dad, and my brother… My half-sister kinda was considered family, though she lived two hours off. The guys didn't have that.

Jason, my twenty-one-year-old brother, didn't like the guys. He stayed away from them for the most part, except for Darry; they got along ok. Which was good for me, because it was better to have him get along with one of them than none of them at all.

My mom wasn't too thrilled, either, when she learned they didn't go to a private school and get good grades. She especially didn't like Dally and Steve, even though they didn't come around a lot. She loved Ponyboy and Johnny, and even Sodapop, though. But she favored Pony the most for some reason. He was like the son she 'never had'.

My dad wasn't really around that much to have a say-so in the argument, so I didn't worry about him liking the guys. But I knew that he would get along with Steve if he ever was home when the guys came 'round, because Steve was _really_ the son he never had.

Jason, well, I hate to say it, but he's kinda a wuss. He doesn't get in fights, he doesn't ride a motorcycle, he doesn't know much about mechanics, and he really doesn't like working on cars. Steve's everything Jason isn't. And for that, I thank the Lord over and over everyday, every time I see Steve and Jason together, or in the same room at least. Steve works on cars for a living and loves it to say the least, and he's a tough guy that doesn't back down to anyone.

Tony, well, since she lived two hours off, I didn't even have to _think_ about her and the guys even meeting. If I had to pick one of the guys that she would like, it probably would have to be Ponyboy. Sweet, nice, lovable Pony. Tony would probably trust him with her life, or at least her kids, which made me also thank God for having her live so far off, because if she hadn't, she'd have poor Pony baby sit those monsters.

I, personally, liked Johnnycake and Two-Bit the most. Johnny I could protect from people, and I liked that kind of responsibility, and Two-Bit made me laugh and forget all my problems. The others were either too stiff or liked by the popular girls on the streets. That bugged me. Pony was okay, but he needed to lighten up a bit.

The guys really didn't mind my family; they actually loved hanging around someone that could be there 'mother' or 'father' (even if he never was around), and even having Jason to pick on. Dally especially liked that feature, even if Darry would sock him for doing it…

It made my heart leap every time Jason and the guys got into a petty fight, because I'd kick up my heels, get some popcorn, and wait for the show to start. Jason had enough of his years picking on me; it was his turn to have that treatment, whether or not he got a say-so in who won. I rarely stepped in to protect Jason. I think I only did that once or twice, when I thought Jason might actually get hurt. The guys didn't like it, but they didn't have a say.

About two weeks after I had met the guys, I was considered one of the 'guys', or rather in there little gang or pod or whatnot, and I considered myself their pet, besides Johnny that is, because they always looked out for me. I didn't need as much help as Johnny did, considering I had my family, but I still got my beatings in.


	2. La Senorita

****

La Senorita

__

{Sitting in the corner with a coffee cup

Reading the newspaper not looking up

She smiles as she finds something funny there

The sunlight shining in her hair} 

I looked around the coffeehouse and back down at the newspaper in front of me. I fingered through it, waiting patiently for Johnny and Steve to get here. They were supposed to meet me here at ten for some coffee, talking, and then go to the Cutis's.

I looked down at my watch and sighed. Ten 'o five. I hoped they hadn't gotten jumped or something. That seemed to happen a lot. And the more it happened, the more I got ticked off at Socs, any I came upon.

The door rang, and I looked up quickly. Johnny was leading Steve into the coffeehouse. I put down the paper and waved them over.

Johnny trotted over to me and jumped down on the booth beside me. "Sorry we're late."

I shrugged it off as Steve sat down on the other side of the table. "Ain't a big deal. I just thought you got jumped or something."

Steve rolled his eyes. "The car I was working on gave me some trouble."

I nodded. "Forget it. So, you gonna order something?"

They glanced at each other.

"What?" I asked with a smile on my lips.

"Don't have any…" Johnny whispered.

I laughed. "Just order something. It's on me. I got my paycheck yesterday."

Steve shook his head. "Not hungry, not thirsty."

I looked at Johnny. "Don't tell me you don't even want a milk? Water?"

He smiled. "You just love spending money on us, don't you?"

I shrugged it off. "Guess so. Now, you gonna have anything?"

He looked over the drink menu sitting on the table. "I guess I could get a hot cocoa…"

"Johnny!" I laughed. "It's like, a hundred degrees outside!"

He flustered. "Ninety."

"Whatever. Go ahead and order, I'll keep Steve busy."

"Oh boy," Steve mumbled as Johnny got up to order at the counter.

I smiled. "Oh, shut up Steve. It ain't gonna kill ya to talk to me."

He shrugged. "You never know…"

"Shut up or I'll tell Soda about you and my friend Natalie."

He turned beat red. "You wouldn't."

"I would, and I will if you don't stop dissing me like I'm deaf."

Steve had this thing for my best friend Natalie James, and she had something for him. That ended up in a long make-out session that I happened to run into.

He swallowed. "Blackmail."

"Just playing your game, grease."

He snorted. "Shut up."

I smiled wide. "Will do Stevie, will do."

"Shut up."

"Is that all you know how to say? 'Shut up'?"

"Shut yer trap."

I broke out laughing. "Pathetic, Randle! Pathetic…"

"You'll be pathetic _lookin'_ if you don't shut your trap." He growled.

"That a threat?" I asked coolly, calming down.

"Maybe. Ask your lover boy Two-Bit."

I bared my teeth and snarled. "You leave Two-Bit out of this, bastard…"

__

{When she leaves you want to

Follow her anywhere

Her dress is too tight

But you can't let her see you stare}

Steve and I had this ongoing war that never ended. He'd blackmail me, I'd do it back at him, he'd start a fight and end up giving me a black eye or slashed lip, and Two-Bit would smash in his head.

"Do you like having a dent in your skull?" I growled.

He shrugged. "Two-Bit doesn't scare me."

"Damn well he should!" I snarled loudly, slamming my fists on the table, making everyone stare at me, and the silverware rattle. "I don't know why you like to beat the shit out of me and make fun of me, Randle. I don't think I ever will. And whatever James sees in you, I don't know! She must be blind to even remotely like someone like you!" 

I jumped from the table and ran out of there before he could slug me one good for talking bad about his girl. He'd wash my mouth out with something stronger then soap if I said something about Nat. But she was _my_ friend, not _his_! I was sure she said things about me to him, so why not say things about her? I had my rights, too. This wasn't a one-way friendship. But it sure seemed like it was starting to look like one.

I was getting madder and angrier every second, and when I get blinded mad like that, I do things – bad things – terrible things. I would find Two-Bit, that's what I would do. I'd find the wise-cracker of the bunch and huddle in his arms for hours until I'd finally get out two words – Steve Randle – so he could go and beat the shit out of him for being rough on me.

The whole gang knew I was sensitive, about everything, really. They knew the other kids treated me terrible at school. They knew I hated people for what they had done to me. They had won my trust, and they wanted to keep it. They seemed to like looking out for me, Two-Bit and Dally in particular. I didn't think for a second that Two-Bit would let Steve off the hook for treating me bad just because he was in the same group as himself.

I sprinted down the street as quick as my feet would carry me. Shoving through the crowds, knocking down some Socs and a greaser or two, I finally made my way out of the huge crowds and into a huge building. I breathed heavily as I glanced around only for a second before continuing my run through the building to the other side. I smashed my way through a door and ended up outside by the beach. I jumped up on the cement barrier separating the back sidewalk from the beach, and sprinted down it. Sand made the cement railing slippery and dangerous, but at the time I didn't care about that.

People, mostly teens, looked at me as I ran past, giving me odd looks. The greasers were the least groups to pay attention, and the Socs threw in their own two-sense as I went by them and their friends. But I couldn't possibly care less. Where in hell was Two-Bit? Maybe he was with Darry… Or Pony!

I jumped off the barrier and went sprawling from landing on my foot wrong.

There was a shout, and someone helped me up. "Are you ok?!"

I looked at the girl. She had dark brown hair and brown eyes. I nodded hurriedly. I saw a group of what looked like her friends coming up behind her, so I waved her off. "Thanks! Catch ya on the flip side!" I threw up my arm with a V sign on my fingers, and continued running down the backside of the boardwalk. _Whew!_ I wiped imaginary sweat from my forehead._ That was close! Too close…_ my conscience went running wild about how that could have ended – blood, turmoil – and I prayed to God mentally and thanked him for letting me live through my stupid mistake of landing on the ground too hard and too damn fast.

There was another yell after I had gone a hundred meters, but I didn't stop.

"CALLISTO!"

I kept running. The damned Socs knew my name. That would _not_ end well…

Something grabbed my waist and I gagged as someone pulled me into a store.


	3. La Senorita part 2

I fought the grip as best I could, kicking and screaming, until a hand was put over my mouth to shut me up. I forgot that biting the hand would get it taken off, and I kept kicking my legs wildly. Who was that damn strong to keep me in their arms?!

"Callisto! Shut up and calm down! You're making a scene!"

I went limp in the arms, remembering the voice of Two-Bit. "Twoa-Bot?" I mumbled under the hand.

He set me down and turned me around. "What's up with you? I can't remember the last time I saw you run so fast. What's going on? What happened?"

I leapt into his embrace and wrapped my arms around his waist. "Oh, thank God it's you, Two-Bit… Thank God…"

He blinked and hugged me back. "Yeah Cal, it's me. What happened?"

__

{You know she has a mind

She has an attitude

And she likes her space

And her solitude

She'll tease you or please you

If she's feeling good

Or burn you

Like you knew she would}

I didn't want to answer. He would think it was stupid that I was acting so hysterical just because Steve and I had another petty fight. So I didn't respond. I put my ear against his chest and listened to his heart. It had been going fast, real fast – he probably was worried about me – but now it was slowing down, he knew I was ok. I let out a quiet sigh and loosened my arms on his waist. _Thank the Lord it was Two-Bit…_

"Steve yell at you again?"

I blinked. "What?"

He smiled, grasped my shoulders, and put me out at his arms stretch. "You and Steve and Johnny were meeting at that coffee house place. I know whenever someone gets you two in the same room, you start a feud. What'd he say?"

I glanced around quickly. None of the others were with him. He had been alone, standing in a dark spot, his cold blade in his hand, which was now being put against my bare arm with his hand. "He…" I looked up at his calm eyes, but he wasn't smiling. "He said you didn't scare him. But the meaning behind it was that he could tear me up all he wanted and you couldn't touch him. I… I said something about Nat."

He sighed and shook his head. He knew it was something stupid to fight about. That, or he knew I was a complete lunatic for bringing up Natalie.

"I ran off before he could deck me. But he was rising to do it! I thought he'd follow after me… So I kept running."

"How many people you run into?"

I closed my eyes, which were filling with tears for no reason at all. "Um…" my voice cracked and I hoped with all my heart that he wouldn't notice. If the person made me cry, Two-Bit took the beating twice as hard and long. "A greaser, maybe two… And three Socs. I fell off the barrier, and twisted my ankle… A girl Soc helped me up."

"Is it necessary for me to beat Randle up?" he asked softly, hugging me against his chest again.

I shook my head. "No… I just over reacted. But… you won't let him get off for dissing you, are you?" I looked up at him with confused, wavering blue eyes. That was the wrong thing to do. Totally. Where had my brain slipped off to?!

His eyes hardened and I winced. "He made you cry…" he wiped the single tear going down my cheek and put my head against his chest again. "No. I won't let him get off with paying me any disrespect."

My heart almost did a leap, but I controlled it and calmed down. "I'm sorry for scaring you."

He didn't respond to it.

"Wanna go find some trouble?"

Still, he didn't do anything.

I looked up at him and saw he was paying no attention to me. I turned in his arms and saw Tim and Curly Shepard standing inside the open building, eyeing us in the shadows. I swallowed hard and pressed myself harder against Two-Bit's chest for some kind of security.

"Get out of here…" Two-Bit whispered to me. "Run."

"What? No way!" I snapped quietly. "I'm not leaving you!"

"You want to fight Curly?" he asked, looking down at me.

I swallowed and shook my head. "No… But I don't want you to get beat up and me be known as the chicken that ran off."

He smiled and brushed back my hair. "You have Griffin on you?"

Griffin was my ten-inch butterfly switchblade. Five inches of the handle, and the blade itself five inches. I didn't have to use it much; it really was only a show prize. Griffin had a black dragon carved on its brown handle, with a red fireball coming from his mouth.

I patted all six of my pockets until I found it. I bobbed my head, "Yeah, I got 'im with me."

"Then you'll have to fight Curly with it, cause I know he has one, same with Timmy there."

I swallowed hard. My throat was dry and a lump was growing in the tube. My hands were shaking, but I refused to let the Shepard brothers see that.

Two-Bit pushed me behind him and went up to the Shepard's. They were slowly making their way out of the shop and down the stairs to the sandy beach.

I didn't like that. I didn't want to fight on the sand were Curly could throw the damned stuff in my eyes and blind me while he beat me to a bloody pulp. Worse, the sand would get into any cut opened and get into your blood flow. And trust me, that isn't the funnest thing to experience.

__

{When she smiles

It's like the sun shining in your face

Pulling and stretching

Her leather and lace}

Curly looked at me as Two-Bit and Tim squared off. He flipped out a blade longer than mine and smirked dryly. "You gonna fight me, prissy kitty?"

Now _that_ blew a fuse and pissed me off immediately. He knew how to get a girl to fight. I leapt at him and flipped Griffin five times. I grasped the other side of the handle and sliced at Curly.

He dodged and sliced back at me, thinking a girl was nothing new to fight. Well, I'm not just a girl with a blade.

__

Name's Shinigami. And you won't live to challenge me again… I twisted from him and grabbed his arm behind him. I slammed my knee into his back and shoved him into the sand in front of me. "Get the point, Shepard?"

The next thing I knew, he had turned and something stung my eyes. I screamed and tried to cry the sand out of my burning eyes. I knew he would do it. He was on the ground too long after just a small kick in the back. Why hadn't I figured out that he had been grabbing some sand and aiming for my eyes? Damn, how could I be so stupid. Now he'd beat the shit out of me…

He grabbed my wrist that held my blade and snapped back, making me drop Griffin into the sand. He slammed his fist into my stomach and his other into my face.

I collapsed backwards onto the soft sand without so much as a scream. I refused to bother Two-Bit and his fight with Tim. I rubbed at my eyes and tears filled the inside of my eyes. I groped around me for something, anything. _Damn it, where's Grif?!_ The blade was gone, or at least out of my reach.

Something sharp hit my right cheek and went in deep. The blade went across my whole right cheek and curved up to my forehead and stopped at my hairline.

At that painful slice I screamed in all earnest. Tears, real tears, went down my cheeks and one burned my open wound. In a blinding white rage, I scooped up as much sand I could manage in both hands and threw it around in front of me. I turned my body in a circle just in case Curly wasn't there, and panted as I stopped. I dropped to my hands and I felt the curling cool blood trickle from my cheek to my arm.

There was a loud crash and a scramble and Two-Bit yelled my name. They were getting away.

"Griffin!" I howled after him. "Where's Griffin?!"

Two-Bit grabbed my arm and hoisted me up. "Damn it Callisto, why didn't you shield you're eyes?! Do you know how deep and long that fucking slash is!"

I winced at his words, and heard someone yell in the distance. Steve and Johnny, and maybe the others, had caught up with us. I started crying harder. "Where's Griffin?" I whimpered and went limp on him. I slumped to my knees, pulling him down with me.

"Cal, calm down." He murmured.

__

Calm down? How can I calm down when my best blade is missing and you're yelling at me?! I thought frantically as my right hand ran through the sand. "Where's Griffin?!" I cried again.

__

{And she's a

Hot one, a halepena

Ooh la Senorita

In Baha, California

Ooo la Senorita}

He sighed heavily. "They don't pay me enough…" he mumbled.

Something cool touched my hand, and I sighed in relief. He had found Grif for me. I didn't bother thanking him after that last comment, and I slid the blade into my middle pocket.

Two-Bit hoisted me up and I heard a voice come closer.

"Two-Bit! Callisto! What the hell happened?!" Sodapop…

"Tim and Curly." Two-Bit said as he propped me against his side.

My eyes were red and puffy and that slash was still bleeding badly. Worse was, I couldn't see straight, and every time I blinked, I could feel the grains of sand in my blue eyes. "Who is it?" I asked softly.

He put his right arm around my waist and we stumbled up the stairs. "The guys." He pulled me up into his arms, off my burning feet.

I put my head against his cheek and swallowed. "All of them?"

"Yeah." His voice was cold like ice, and harder than.

I knew he was glaring, or at least looking at, Steve. He was going to have a good talking with that boy if it was the last thing he did. I just hoped they didn't start a brawl over it.

"Hey Cal, are you ok?" That was Ponyboy.

I shook my head. "No Pony," I whispered softly. "I ain't."

The guys weren't making a fuss over Two-Bit, only me, so I figured he came out of the fight okay.

"Would you shut up already?" Two-Bit finally snapped after the guys had started talking to the two of us at once.

They did shut up, to my blind amazement.

"Do you want me to take you to your house or mine, Cal?" Two-Bit asked sharply to me.

"Yours. Mom won't understand…"

He nodded and started walking, and I figured the others followed.


	4. Dam Dariram

****

Dam Dariram

__

{Fall in love…

Fall in love…

I

Need your love in every way

And I feel this everyday

Cause I have too many tears

To fall in love again}

Two-Bit was rummaging around his house and I heard his mom yell at him. It wasn't a curse or anything, the voice was soft for how loud it was, but I couldn't make out what she had said.

I tried opening my eyes and received a sharp pain in them for the try. I didn't make a sound for the sharp, sudden blindingly white flash of pain, only slumped down on the couch and clenched my eyes shut. I wondered where Two-Bit had gone off to.

My mom was _so_ going to kill me for this. Being gone the whole night and finally coming home with a long, deep slash on my face would get myself the reward of a grounding, chores and more chores, and never being able to see the guys again. Not to mention the sight of my father yelling at me and making me cry wasn't pretty.

"Two-Bit! Yo-Yo!"

I smiled at my nickname. "In here, Sodapop."

There was a soft thud and Soda came skipping into the front room. "Hey Yo-Yo. How ya doin'?"

I shifted my shoulders and wished I could look at him. Seeing pure black for hours on end and not being asleep got tiring. "Er… Well, you know. How's it look?"

There was a pause. "Well, not too bad. It makes you look tuff… Real tuff."

"Hey Sodapop." Two-Bit.

"Hey Two-Bit. How's it going?"

"So, so. I'm surprised her mom hasn't called yet to scream at me."

I started laughing. "Oh, _please!_ My mom would never yell at ya, Two-Bit."

"Sure she would!" he said with a confidence behind his voice that normally wasn't there. "Considering you got that slash, she'll probably have me arrested."

"What for?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow above my closed eyes. "You didn't do it, that freaking Shepard did."

"Hey, watch that mouth. You know Pony and that Sheep are buds." Soda put it.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't give a damn right now about that Curly or his brother. Right now, I just want to be able to see again and go bust someone's ass."

Two-Bit laughed. "Good 'ole Yo-Yo."

"Keep a look out for the Coolers, Two-Bit. I'm sure their leader will be ready to bust open the head of whoever it is that hurt Yo or had anything to do with it." Soda said sharply but quietly.

Two-Bit didn't respond for a while. "I didn't do it, what do I have to worry about?"

"You're hanging with her. That's what. You know that Yo has a close connection with that bastard Nick." Soda snapped.

"Don't call him that, Pop." I growled. "He's a hell of a lot nicer and cooler then Randle."

They didn't say anything.

"Leave Steve out of this."

"Why the hell should I?!" I yelled, thrashing over and almost falling off the couch. I pried open my eyes and puss pooled out of them from the sand grinded in them and probably the stuff Two-Bit had put in them to cool them off.

"Callisto…" Two-Bit warned.

"NO!" I shouted. "I'm not letting him off with it!"

Soda swallowed and glared at me as best he could.

"If I see Randle again…" I snarled, baring my teeth. "I swear… I swear I'll slice him up good!"

"Cal, shut up." Two-Bit said.

I shot him a good hot glare. "You want a fight with Nick and his buddies, huh?"

"Stop this, now." He said firmly.

His mom walked into the room and looked at me. "How are you doing, dear?" She mustn't have heard the yelling.

"I'm doing peachy." I said through clenched teeth.

Two-Bit glared at me. He didn't like me being mean to his mom.

__

{Now

I am walking around

In this side of the town

I just can't hideaway}

I pulled myself up and clasped my head. A rush of blood flowed and my eyes wavered, making my stomach lurch. I held down whatever I had eaten the day before and stood up slowly on wobbling legs. "I'm going home," I said flatly as I pulled my legs to take me to the doorway.

"Really? What are you going to tell your mom?" Two-Bit asked, crossing his arms.

"That I slipped and fell. I do that a lot," I turned to him. "It'll keep you from getting arrested." I turned back away and stumbled out of the house.

"Cal!" Two-Bit half yelled, half sighed after me. "You're just going to run into Curly and get into more trouble!"

"Don't worry about that." I called back, turning my eyes to look at him. "I got the Coolers lookin' out for me."

He snorted. "To what you think."

I snorted right back and headed down the sidewalk. "To what I know. And if you're smart, you'll stay away from me for a while." I headed down the sidewalk for a while, and when I was two blocks off and down a street where there was no one around, I pulled myself up on a cement wall and closed my burning eyes. I wished about then that I had a cell phone.

The whole street was totally abandoned, and it was still only the middle of the day. There were a few driveways that had cars in them, but no house looked occupied.

About fifteen minutes later, I pulled myself off the wall and trudged to another street and glanced around. There was a dark red Mustang with a black top crawling down the street at around five miles an hour; and let me tell you this, Mustangs don't _do_ that.

I swallowed hard and fumbled through one of my pockets for Griffin. My eyes were watery still from the solution in them and my cheek was on fire from the slash. To the sight of anyone, I was just a helpless girl. Shit, would they be wrong.

The car stopped on the other side of the street and turned off. Two boys, about twenty, who were the only ones inside, climbed out. Damned he who tried to jump me.

I wiped back my bangs and stopped walking. I leaned my left side on a small tree for stance help and my wavering eyes watched the two boys intently as they crossed the street towards me.

The taller one had dark brown eyes and green eyes. He wore a black shirt with a red dragon on it and black baggy pants with red stripes down the side.

The slightly shorter one wore exactly the same, only with a dragon pendant around his neck. They were members of the Southside Hoods, and this one was a leader of a portion of the group. His long blonde hair went to the middle of his neck and his eyes were a bright blue.

They stopped on the sidewalk five feet in front of me, their hands shoved into their pockets.

The blonde looked me up and down and his blue eyes rested on my slash. "Soc?"

I took a deep breath and my eyes wiggled. "My slash?"

He nodded his head.

That made me flat out dizzy. "Na." With my right hand I brushed down a wrinkle in my black tank top and tugged on a pocket of my baggy jeans.

__

{How

Can I look in your eyes

When I feel like to die

I have to runaway

Daririram dariram dariram

Darirari rariram

Dariraram dam}

He narrowed his eyes slightly as if in confusion. "What's your name? And what gang are ya in?"

I didn't want to answer either one of them, but I had to. That, or get killed. "Callisto. And… I'm not in gang." I swallowed the last answer hard. Embarrassing. That's all it was.

He nodded and his eyes went normal again. "You a greaser?"

"I don't know. I have a bit of money… Middle class, probably."

He glanced at his friend, who had a hard look in his eyes. "You need a ride somewhere?"

I blinked. "Eh…" my eyes were twitching and they started to irritate me again. "Yeah, sort of. If… you were going in that direction."

"Where to?"

"Well… wouldn't you get in trouble if your…friends…saw me in your car?"

He almost decked me. "It isn't any of their business, now is it?"

I shook my head. "No, sir." Even I knew better then to talk back to a gang leader. "Watsonville. By the airport."

"You got friends in a gang?" he asked.

I blinked. "Um… Well, I do know the leader of the Coolers."

He nodded and looked at his friend, who now had a frightened look in his eyes. "You wanna do it?"

He looked down at his friend. "I'm not one to tell you what to do, sir."

He nodded back and turned to me. "Hop in." he turned and went back to his car, his buddy following.

I looked up and down and the street slowly and followed after them. I got into the back car and the taller one got into the front seat.

The blonde shut his door and turned on the car. On jammed Linkin Park. He turned it down and turned to look at me. "You keep your mouth shut good about this and you'll have another buddy in a different gang, got it?"

I nodded my head. I could use more friends in gangs.

He turned around and swung the car around, making the car wheels squeal. He sped down the street and went right through a stop sign. Luckily no cars were coming at us.

I kept my mouth shut the whole drive while the two boys talked quietly to each other over the loud music booming through the stereos. I did, however, tap my foot to the music. Neither seemed to notice. I hummed it in my head and even muttered the words to the songs. But we only got through three until the blonde turned down the music.

He glanced at me in the mirror and back at the road as he turned down the Buena Vista turnoff. "Right?"

"Left." I murmured just loud enough for him to hear.

"Right."

"No, left." I said, a bit louder.

He chuckled. "I meant, okay."

"Oh… sorry." I flustered.

His friend was rolling his eyes and probably thinking I was a totally moron. He was lucky I hadn't pulled Griffin on him yet to steal the car.

__

{Dariri

Ram dariram dariram

Dariram rariram

Dariraram dam

And fall in love again…}

"What number?" he asked as he went down a hill at 50 MPH that was supposed to be 30.

"406." I said, looking out the windows.

He slowed down as he went up a hill and he turned into the driveway. The gate was open.

I swallowed and was reluctant to get out of the car. Dad was home. Mom was home. Jason had a friend over. I wanted to cry and beg the Hoods to let me stay with them.

The blonde looked at me. He offered his hand. "Name's Lukas Mattock. Luke to friends."

I smiled for the first time since I had gotten to Two-Bit's house. "Thanks for the ride. It won't be mentioned out of my brain." I said as I shook his head.

He opened his door and pulled forward his seat. Once again, he offered me his hand to pull me out of the Mustang. "If you ever need a place to stay," he glanced at my house and I was lost in those pools he called eyes. "I run a place downtown Santa Cruz. Called The Dragon's Lair. You can't miss it. It's made out to look like shut down restaurant. Use the back door," he looked down at his dragon necklace and pulled it off. "Here…"

I swallowed hard as he put it in my hand.

"Show them that, they'll have to let you in."

I looked up at him and couldn't even smile. "I don't know what to say."

He shrugged. "Don't say anything. Just come by sometime. There's always a spare bed."

I finally managed a smile and nodded. "Thanks a lot."

He climbed into his car. "Your welcome." He took off without so much as putting his seat belt on.

__

{And

Fall in love again…

Fall in love…}

I turned to my house and wished I had told Luke a fake address. I trudged to the house and opened the front. I slipped into the kitchen where no one was, and looked into the front room. Jason was playing his PS2 with his best friend Brendan and another friend Jon was watching. "Where are mom and dad?"

Jason whirled to look at me, and Brendan paused the game. He gaped at me with wide eyes.

I swallowed hard. "Jason?"

He suddenly scowled. "Where the _hell_ have you been?"

I sighed and rubbed my forehead by my scar. "Friend's house. They didn't have a phone that was working."

"Shit they didn't." He grumbled.

"Hell, it isn't your business!" I snapped back, totally not in the mood for fighting with him. "Where's mom?"

"Where do you think? In her room."

I took a breath and went down the hall. I grasped the handle, but knew I shouldn't. I went to the bathroom and smothered on who knows how much cover up on that freaking scar. I washed my hand of the make-up and then went to my parent's room.

Dad was on the bed on the phone, and my mom was just lying there.

I cleared my throat. "Mom?"

She almost jumped out of her skin. She whirled to look at me, and I noticed how puffy her red eyes were and how white her skin was.

I could tell I was going to The Lair tonight.

After about three or four hours of yelling at each other, dad and mom let me off with a grounding of two months and, since they hadn't seen the scar, didn't make me promise not to see my buds anymore.

But being grounded didn't keep me from thinking constantly of The Lair and when I would leave. I couldn't drive, that was for sure, but I figured I could get Nick to pick me up, or I could just take the bus.


	5. Mr Wonderful

****

Mr. Wonderful

__

{Hey Mr. Wonderful,

Oh you're so incredible

Hey Mr. Wonderful,

Wonderful to me

Hey Mr. Wonderful,

Oh you're irresistible

Hey Mr. Wonderful,

A miracle to me}

The night was freezing and way too dark for my liking. I decided against going to the bus station and pulled up Nick on the Internet. Damn he stayed up long.

I instant messaged him and asked him to pick me up in front of my house, but not to make any noise. I got off as soon as he sent 'okay' and snuck to my room. I grabbed a jacket, changed into a pair of jeans and a long sleeved shirt, and went back to the living room. I snuck out of the house without our dog making a racket about it and jogged to the gate. I climbed over the wooden part and waited in the darkest of the shadows for Nick to come.

It was about ten minutes later when he pulled up.

I immediately jumped into his car. "Hey, thanks for coming by so late." I said to him.

He smiled softly at me. "No problem. Where did you need to go?" he got back out onto the road and headed for the freeway.

I couldn't tell him where I was really going. That would wreck everything in my life. I clenched the dragon necklace in my hand and a sudden surge of warmth crept through my body. "The mall." That was close enough to where I needed to go.

He nodded. "No problem."

We were quiet for the ten-minute trip until he pulled up in the mall parking lot and turned off the engine. He looked at me and almost laughed. "How'd ya get the scar?"

I blinked at him. "What?"

He put his hand on my cheek and swiped off most the portion of cover up. "I don't miss a thing about you, baby."

I laughed. "Just another rumble. I'm fine."

"I know you are. I never said you weren't." He stated as I jumped out of the car. "Want me to pound who did it?"

I shook my head. "No thanks." I shut the door and headed for the mall. "Thanks again for the ride."

He nodded and took off.

I jogged to the front of the mall and waited till he had taken off completely. He knew damn well the mall closed at eleven, and it was twelve thirty now. I shrugged it off and headed around the corner. It would take me ten minutes to get to The Lair on foot, but that was okay with me.

I somehow didn't find any trouble on the streets; I got to Luke's place without a hitch. I walked into the alleyway and sure enough there were two guards by a door. They didn't so much as look at me.

__

{Hold me

I wanna feel your arms

Around me

Oh na na

Oh na na

Kiss me

Cos only you can make me happy

Oh na na na}

I pulled out the necklace from under the jacket and held it up for them to look at.

They turned their eyes to me and they looked like they would pull heaters on me.

"Um… Luke said I could get in here."

They swallowed hard and the one on my right kicked open the door. "Go ahead."

I would have smirked and strutted in there like the queen of the world, but I was too scared out of my wits to think of that. I slinked into the building and immediately started running up rows and rows of stairs. When I got to what looked like the top, I glanced around. There were five guys on the ground playing cards and two girls asleep on the floor. There was a door just beyond the group of boys. I slinked through the shadows and reached for the handle.

Just that second, a cool touch felt under my chin. The flat part of the blade.

I swallowed, but barely, just so I wouldn't cut myself.

"Who are you?"

I winced and knew my slice was showing. But that didn't make me look weak to them, it made me look tough to them. "My name is my own. Lukas Mattock said I was welcome."

"Hmm. Lukas my ass. Tell me your name before I slit your throat."

The door flew out and a heater was aimed at the person's head. "Drop the blade or I'll blast your brains out…" Luke's voice said coolly.

I almost sighed a sigh of relief.

The person pulled back the blade. "You know her?"

"You're a smart one. Moron," Luke took hold of my upper arm. "Get lost." He pulled me into the room and shut it with his foot behind me. "You all right?"

I turned to look at him and blinked. He didn't have a shirt on and he was wearing a sort of red trunks. I kept my eyes level with his. "Yeah… I'm fine."

He went past me and sat down on top his desk. "What are you doing here?"

I went after him and held out his necklace. "I wanted to give this back… And just came to see what the place looked like."

He smiled. "Keep it."

"But… it's like your identity."

"Most people know me by looks," he shrugged. "You should have been wearing it. That jackass wouldn't have pulled his blade on you if you were wearing it."

I sighed. "But I'm not a Southside Hood."

He shrugged. "So what? It's a token to show you know me. You'll get through everything with that."

I shook my head. "No I won't. I'll get into major trouble by wearing it."

He laughed. "You mean with Nick and the Coolers?"

I nodded. "And others, sooner or later."

He smiled. "So, you don't want it?"

I looked down at it. "No, I want it. A lot… It's real cool looking."

"So, how'd you get here? You don't look old enough to drive yet."

I scowled. "Oh shut up. I'm old enough to drive."

He just laughed. "That's good enough."

I rolled my shoulders and tried my hardest to keep my eyes on his. "You live here?"

He shrugged back and jumped off the desk. "I spend the night once and a while."

I watched him cross the room. "I better be getting home… I'm supposed to be grounded. Can I hitch a ride from you?"

He turned his eyes to me as he poured himself a drink. "Grounded?"

"Yeah. For being missing overnight without calling home. What do you say?"

He drank half the cup and set it down. "Sure… why not?" he grabbed a set of car keys and headed out his door.

I followed after him, down the four fleets of stairs and out into the darkness of the alleyway.

He got into a car parked by the sidewalk and started up the engine.

I couldn't make out what it was, but I figured it was the red Mustang from the day before. I hopped into the car and buckled in.

Luke was pulling on his seatbelt as well and turning down his CD player. "You hitch a ride with Nomi?"

I blinked. "You mean… like to get here?"

He nodded as he turned the car down the street.

"Yeah. You aren't like, mad, are you?"

"Why would I be mad?" he asked.

I took a breath and shook my head as I looked out the window into the darkness. The freeway was rather bare of vehicles and all I heard was the low hum of Luke's Mustang and Linkin Park's voice. I wiped my mouth and glanced at the boy. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-one. And you?" he didn't seem to mind the question.

"Eighteen." I murmured as I rapped my long fingernails on the door handle.

"You antsy for a reason, Cal?" he asked in a soft voice that reminded me of an old friend.

"I just hope my parents don't know I'm missing." I whispered, sinking in my seat.

His hands were tightening and loosening on the steering wheel. "They don't."

I didn't bother to ask him how he knew that, or how he figured, but he was right. My parents never found out about me leaving the house that night. No one knew about it except Luke.


End file.
